INTRODUCTION: Low birth weight (BW) has been associated with poor bone health in adulthood. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between BW and bone mass and metabolism in adult BW discordant monozygotic twins (MZ). METHODS: 153 BW extremely discordant MZ twin-pairs were recruited from the Danish Twin Registry. Serum vitamin D (25OHD) and bone turnover markers (BTM) P1NP, 1CTP, and CTX were quantified. Femoral neck, total hip, lumbar spine, and whole body bone mineral density (FN-BMD, TH-BMD, LS-BMD, and WB-BMD) were measured using DXA. Twins were studied as single individuals using regression analyses with or without adjustment for height, weight, age, sex, and intra-pair correlation. Within-pair differences were assessed using Student's T-test and fixed-regression models. RESULTS: BW was not associated with BTMs, LS-, TH-, FN- or WB-BMD, but BW was associated with WB-BMC, and -WB-Area after adjustments. Compared to the co-twin, twins with the highest BW were heavier and taller in adulthood (Mean differences (SD): 3.0 (10.5) kg; 1.6 (2.6) cm, both p

Type:

Journal article

Language:

English

Published in:

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research : the Official Journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2013, Vol 28, Issue 12, p. 2561-9